This invention relates to truck/trailer box constructions. More particularly, it relates to a sidewall construction for a truck/trailer box that is basically characterized by a plurality of horizontally elongated sidewall panels each composed of skins and webs that are too thin to be welded, and to a joint construction that permits the sidewall panels to be welded together where they join.
There is a need for a way of constructing the sidewalls of truck/trailer boxes from materials that are very light weight but strong and rigid. There is also a need for such a truck/trailer box construction that permits sections of a sidewall to be welded together while still allowing for the use of very thin skins and webs that are themselves too thin to be welded.
There is also a need for a truck/trailer box sidewall construction that provides for the easy manufacture of both a top rail and a bottom rail for adding strength and rigidity to the tops and bottoms of the sidewalls.
The principal object of the present invention is to provide a truck/trailer sidewall construction that meets the above needs. Regarding the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,741, granted Oct. 1, 1991, to Raynard Brown and Norval I. Lopshire discloses a truck box that is composed of a plurality of sidewall panels and an interlocking joint structure where edges of the panels meet. In the Background of the Invention portion of this patent, there is reference to the more common truck body sidewalls that are formed from plywood covered with an aluminum or plastic exterior surface. U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,726, granted Aug. 11, 1998, to Thomas N. Kaufman discloses a livestock trailer having sidewalls that are constructed from aluminum tubular members. The Background of the Invention section of this patent discloses and discusses several prior art trailers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,929, granted Nov. 22, 1988, to Raymond K. Foster, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,356, granted Mar. 17, 1992, also to Raymond K. Foster disclose bottom constructions for truck/trailer boxes. The truck/trailer box sidewalls of the present invention are particularly adapted for use with the bottom constructions disclosed by these patents.
The present invention includes providing a truck/trailer box sidewall construction that is characterized by a horizontally elongated bottom sidewall panel having a top edge, a bottom edge, inside and outside, vertical side skins, and a plurality of vertically spaced apart, horizontal webs interconnecting the side skins vertically between the top and bottom edges. The side skins and the webs together define a plurality of horizontally elongated inner spaces in said bottom sidewall panel. Each inner space is defined horizontally between the two side skins and vertically between the two webs. A horizontally elongated side rail may extend laterally outwardly from the inside skin of the sidewall at a location spaced above the bottom edge. The side rail has a bottom surface that forms a nook with a lower side surface of the inside side skin that extends downwardly from the bottom surface of the side rail. The top and bottom edges, the inside and outside vertical side skins, the horizontal webs and the side rail are all portions of a common extrusion.
According to another aspect of the invention, the truck/trailer sidewall further comprises a horizontally elongated top sidewall panel and a plurality of horizontally elongated intermediate sidewall panels. The intermediate sidewall panels are positioned vertically between the top sidewall panel and the bottom sidewall panel. The top sidewall panel has a top portion, a bottom edge, inside and outside vertical side skins, and a plurality of vertically spaced apart horizontal webs interconnecting the vertical side skins. The intermediate sidewall panels have top and bottom edges, inside and outside vertical side skins, and a plurality of vertically spaced apart horizontal webs interconnecting the vertical side skins. The bottom edge of the top sidewall panel is connected to the top edge of an adjacent intermediate wall panel that is below it. The top edge of the bottom wall panel is connected to the bottom edge of an adjacent intermediate sidewall panel that is above it. All other intermediate wall panels are connected to edges of the wall panel that is above it and the wall panel that is below it. When the top sidewall panel, the bottom sidewall panel and the intermediate sidewall panels are all connected together, the outside vertical side skins of all of said panels are substantially coplanar and the inside vertical side skins of all of said wall panels are substantially coplanar.
A further aspect of the invention is to provide a side rail that is integral with the inside side skin of the bottom sidewall panel. This sidewall projects laterally from the inside, vertical side skin.
The present invention also includes providing a truck/trailer box sidewall construction that comprises a horizontally elongated top sidewall panel having a top portion, a bottom edge, inside and outside, vertical side skins, and a plurality of vertically spaced apart, horizontal webs interconnecting the side skins vertically between the top portion and the bottom edge. The side skins and webs together define a plurality of horizontally elongated inner spaces in said top sidewall panel. Each said inner space is defined horizontally between the two side skins and vertically between two webs. The top portion of the top sidewall panel includes a top rail extending longitudinally of the top sidewall panel. The top edge rail is wider than the top sidewall panel and includes a vertical outside skin, a vertical inside skin, a top skin and a bottom skin, and at least one web extending between the side skins and dividing the top rail into inner spaces. The top rail and the bottom edge of the top sidewall panel, and the inside and outside vertical side skins, and the top and bottom skins of the top rail, and the horizontal webs in the top sidewall panel, and in the top rail, are all portions of a common extrusion.
The present invention further includes providing a truck/trailer box sidewall construction that is characterized by a lower, horizontally elongated, first sidewall panel and an upper, horizontally elongated second sidewall panel. The first sidewall panel has a top edge, vertical inside and outside side skins, and vertically spaced apart horizontal webs interconnecting the side skins vertically below the top edge and horizontally between the two side skins. The second sidewall panel has a lower edge, vertical inside and outside side skins, and horizontal webs interconnecting the side skins together vertically above the bottom edge and horizontally between the two side skins. The inside and outside skins of the first and second sidewall panels are too thin to be welded. One of the top and bottom edges includes a longitudinal groove and the other includes a longitudinal tongue that extends into the groove when the top and bottom edges are in contact. The first sidewall panel has corner regions that extend diagonally between the side skins and the top edge of the first wall section. The second sidewall panel has corner regions that extend diagonally between the side skins of the second sidewall section and the bottom edge of the second sidewall section. The corner regions together form horizontally extending weld recesses where the corner regions of the first sidewall panel adjoin the corner regions of the second sidewall panel when the top and bottom edges are in contact. The corner regions of the first and second sidewall panels are thick enough at the weld recesses to permit the placement of weld beads in the weld recesses. Weld beads are placed in the weld recesses and serve to weld the upper edge of the first sidewall panel to the lower edge of the second sidewall panel.
Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the description of the best mode set forth below, from the drawings, from the claims and from the principles that are embodied in the specific structures that are illustrated and described.